Escaping Paradise
by brittany2922
Summary: Darcy knew what it was to truly love someone... She also knew what it was to lose them. Two years after she buried the man she promised to marry an ominous package arrives. A package that makes her question everything she thought she knew. Finding the truth propels her back into a world she had left behind years ago and changes everything she thought she wanted in life.
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE:** Escaping Paradise

 **Summary:** Darcy knew what it was to truly love someone... She also knew what it was to lose them. Two years after she buried the man she promised to marry an ominous package arrives. A package that makes her question everything she thought she knew. Finding the truth propels her back into a world she had left behind years ago and changes everything she thought she wanted in life.

A/N Okay, so this is my first time writing a Steve and Darcy fic. I never even shipped them until about a month ago when I read an amazing fic by SarcasticFina over on Live Journal and now they are one of my favorites.

This story will be 10 chapters long and is mostly written already so I will be updating every 2-3 days.

I hope everyone enjoys!

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

 _ **June 2012**_

"You could stay you know? Just keep being the World's Best Personal Assistant," Jane suggested as she hugged Darcy tightly. "What about a raise?" She offered, "I could give you an awesome raise."

She chuckled kindly as she stepped back from her friend, "I'm an intern, Jane. An _unpaid_ intern," she reminded.

"Then it'd be really easy to give you more money, wouldn't it?" She smiled mischievously. "A _lot_ more money."

Darcy walked over to her desk laughing loudly. She lifted her satchel bag from the back of her chair and flung it over her shoulder before picking up a neatly packed cardboard box of her personal items from around the lab. "You'll be fine Jane, I promise." She took a step back toward the door then stopped and jerked her head toward the kitchen. "I left you a survival basket. Everything you could possibly need including an obscene amount of Pop Tarts, delicious imported coffees, and a battery operated alarm clock already set for meal times."

"You're too good to me," she declared crossing the distance between them and pulling the younger woman into another quick hug, even though Darcy couldn't hug her back with her hands full. "How will I manage to find anyone half as good as you?"

"It won't be easy," Darcy admitted with a small yet proud grin. "Speaking of my replacement though, I left something else for you beside the basket."

"Darcy, no. I already told you that I don't want anyone else. At least not right away." She crossed her arms over her chest and Darcy almost laughed at how young her friend looked as she pouted, "I need time to focus on my work. I can't waste it training someone who won't be nearly as good as you were."

"Just take a look at the files." She ordered as she moved toward the lab door. "I met with each applicant myself and found you three really amazing options. You'll like them," she promised. "Just don't wait too long, you never know what kind of under qualified wise ass you'll end up with if you do."

"It worked out well enough for me last time."

Darcy snorted and gave her one firm nod, "It did, didn't it?" Before she passed through the door she turned back, "Hey Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"It's been..." She couldn't find the words. How could she sum up all they had been through with a single word or even a single sentence? Hell, she doubted an entire book could cover it.

"Unforgettable?" Jane offered.

She guessed that would have to do. "Unforgettable," Darcy repeated happily as she mulled the word over internally, "I like that." She agreed with a single definitive nod and sent her boss, now more a dear friend then her employer, a final wave and finally walked out the lab door.

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

 **One year later...**

Darcy stared in up in disbelief at the New York City skyline. Large otherworldly beasts were currently on a rampage and destroying her favorite city in the world. Aliens... again... seriously?!

She ran as fast as her feet would carry her toward somewhere she hoped would still be open. The deli she went to several times a week to pick up her bosses lunch. She reached the door and sighed in relief when it opened. It was after she was inside that she noticed that it was empty. Not wanting to go back into the chaos outside and not knowing where else to go she bolted to the tiny bathroom in the back and locked the door behind her. Not that locks would keep out any super powered extraterrestrials, but hey, why not?

She couldn't believe this shit was happening again.

After leaving Jane's employ a year ago she had found another job quicker then she thought she would. It not only paid well but it was actually in her preferred field. It was finally something she could put her well earned degree in Political Science to good use for.

She was able to spend nearly eight months working as the underling to an underling of an underling for the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. It had been a dream come true, especially as far as first time real world jobs go. Part of her knew that she'd only found such an amazing job so easily because of her involvement with a well known Norse God and his connection to a certain super secret government agency. The opportunity was way to good to pass up though, and she couldn't deny that she appreciated the help, at least to an extent. After getting a leg up on her first job she wanted to earn her next one on her own. That was how she had ended up in New York. After two months of looking for opportunities in DC she had decided to move ahead elsewhere.

It was there that she finally found a job working for another woman. This one was still a member of the democratic party, but instead of working for the Secretary of State she was working in the office of a Junior Senator. It felt just as good as getting her last job, because she knew she had earned this one herself.

Yet, as she found herself hiding in the bathroom of the Junior Senators favorite sandwich shop she was silently kicking herself for coming to New York at all.

After twenty minutes of cowering like someone who'd never seen anything like this before her curiosity finally got the better of her. Stepping up to the door she slowly cracked it open and peeked through the tiny opening. The building was still completely empty, of course. The only difference was that now the entire front wall of the building was nothing more than a pile of crumpled concrete and broken glass.

Darcy stumbled as she crawled over the pile of rubble and started to fall face first. She managed to catch herself with only inflicting a few small cuts to her hands from the pieces of scattered glass. Rolling her eyes at herself she used the uninjured sides of her palms to carefully push herself up, and after several minutes of maneuvering her way through the destruction she was finally out of the deli and making her way down the demolished remains of the street.

She glanced up just in time to see Iron Man fly through the large hole in earth's atmosphere. She was so focused on him that she missed the sound of footsteps behind her and was startled by the feeling of something hard pressed firmly into the small of her back.

"Don't move." A deep voice grunted.

"You have got to be kidding me?"

"Don't move." He repeated. Digging what she now realized must be the barrel of a gun further into her. "Give me your purse."

"Are you seriously mugging me during an alien invasion? Who does that? Idiot..." she mumbled as her eyes darted around her to check for the best route to escape.

"What the hell did you just say to me you little bitch?"

"I said schmidiot?"

"You think that's funny?" He demanded, clicking back the trigger.

"Actually, under normal circumstances I've been known to have quite the sense of humor... Some have called me hilarious even."

"Look, just give me the purse lady."

"I don't have a purse," she pointed out. "Kinda lost it during the whole aliens trying to take over New York thing. Surely you can see that?" She pointed at herself and her lack of anything other than the clothes on her back.

Before he could respond she heard a loud thud, felt the gun fall away and watched it land down between her feet. Without thinking she picked it up and whipped around pointing the gun at another man than the one on the ground.

"I surrender," he joked holding his hands up. Darcy studied him closely. He was young, but older than her. Maybe only by a year or two. He wore a very expensive, at least by the looks of it, camera around his neck.

She had no idea why but as soon as he held his hand out to her she just knew she was safe with him. He helped her step over the collapsed man at their feet and led her farther away from the carnage of the Avengers showdown.

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

Three months later found her on yet another date with her camera man. His name turned out to be Andrew Miller. He was a photojournalist for a small locally run internet newspaper, hence the nice camera he had worn around his neck the day they met.

After he had saved her from the mugger things between them had developed quickly. It was definitely in a good way, though. She really liked him. He was smart and charming, funny and kind. It also didn't hurt that he was really nice to look at. So when coffee dates had turned into lunches, and lunches to dinners she was ecstatic. The only thing that hadn't been fast between them was their physical relationship.

In the past she would have spent hours trying to figure out why he didn't want to sleep with her, but with him she understood and agreed. They were taking that part of their relationship slow, getting to know each other on a deeper level, and honestly she was enjoying it more then she ever thought she could.

She was ready now though, and she hoped that he felt the same way. She listened as he spoke of his most recent assignment. This would be the first time that the paper he worked for would be sending him out of the city, and she was so happy for him.

He pushed his thick black framed glasses up his nose and smiled brightly at her. He really was so handsome and it was in that slightly nerdy way that she had always been a sucker for.

She couldn't fight the grin that erupted. She didn't know how it had happened so quickly but she was certain she was already falling in love with him. She just hoped he felt the same way about her.

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

She and Drew hadn't slept together that night. It just hadn't felt right. They didn't want something that should be amazing to be saturated with the sadness of him leaving. He was going to be gone for at least a month, possibly even two, and it just hadn't felt right.

It was the night he came back that they finally slept together for the first time. It had been amazing, but he had barely been back for a month before another assignment came in, this one sending him even farther than the last. Then there was another one, and another, and another. It had reached the point where he was gone far more then he was in New York. The time apart was unbearable for both of them, but they tried to make sure that when they were together they made up for it.

It was amazing but harder for her than she was willing to let on. She would never make him compromise his goals for her.

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

They were out celebrating their two year anniversary. They were actually celebrating a week late since he was out of town yet again on the actual day. Their night out was ending with them sitting in the deli she had once taken up refuge in during the New York attack.

She smiled at him as they sat across from each other their fingers linked. "How was your trip?"

"Lonely."

"It better have been."

"Come on Darce, you know you're the only girl for me."

"I do."

"In fact I've been thinking?" he tugged a small box from his pocket and placed it on the table between them, "open it," he instructed when she stared at it like it may explode. "Please?"

She didn't look at him as he slid the box toward her slowly and flipped it open.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"You know I'm completely crazy right?"

"I do."

"That you're basically asking to tie yourself to my particular brand of crazy," she lifted her hands and drew circles with her fingers next to both temples. "forever."

"Yep." He pulled the box back from her and pulled it from the soft black velvet surrounding it, "and for the record I love everything about your particular brand of crazy." He placed his hand palm up on the table top and looked toward her left hand pointedly.

"I love you too."

"Is that a yes?"

Smiling brightly she placed her hand in his. "Yes."

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

"As we gather to commend our brother Andrew to God our Father and to commit his body to the earth let us express in Prayer our common faith in..."

Darcy tuned out the minister. He was there for Drew's mother more then anything else. While her fiance had his beliefs he didn't need all the pomp and circumstance of a formal burial. He would have been just as happy with those he loved most standing around and telling stories about why they had loved him.

Her fiance.

Darcy's eyes drifted down to the small and delicate diamond that rested on her left hand. They were only a few days from their wedding when the private jet he had been traveling on from Cairo to the U.S. had crashed.

They would already be husband and wife if things had been different. Holding back a sob she turned to look at Drew's mother.

She gripped Darcy's hand and pulled the younger woman closer to her. Though it didn't provide her any comfort. She'd always found it funny that she had never even met his mother until they were engaged and even more bizarre that this was the first time she had seen her since their first introduction.

The minister finished his prayer and looked to Darcy, "and now Andrew's fiancee would like to say a few words." Darcy's eyes snapped to him and she swallowed heavily. The ache in her chest grew stronger with each step she took. When she stepped next to the minister he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Um... I'm sure most people who do this take some time before hand to plan out the perfect eulogy, and I wish I could say that's what I did but..." she shook her head started again. "Andrew loved what he did, he was..."

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

She saw him beside her.

His hand when he held it out to her the first time they met.

Their first date.

Their first night together.

The night he proposed.

Her eyes fluttered open and she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Drew was a great man. He was good and kind to everyone he met, and I loved him more then I ever thought it was possible to love another person. The only thing that breaks my heart more than losing my chance to spend the rest of my life with him is that he'll never have the chance to do all the things he wanted to." She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. "One night after he came back from a pretty awful assignment we talked about bucket lists, talked about all the things we were going to do together... Things that are never going to happen..." clearing her throat she stepped forward and placed her hand to the top of his casket. "I love you Andrew and you deserved better."

The people around her and the minister started moving to his casket each placing a yellow rose on it and saying a goodbye. It was after everyone was gone that she felt a tiny arm wrap around her. She turned her head and smiled weakly at her friend, "Jane." She wrapped her arms around her and finally let the sobs take over her body.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2 -**

 **Two Years Later...**

Darcy forced herself to focus on the screen in front of her. She was right in the middle of a very important research project for the Junior Senator but her eyes kept drifting to the desk calender beside her monitor. Just a few weeks ago had been the second anniversary of Andrew's death.

Two Years. It hardly seemed possible to that it had been that long, yet to those around her it seemed that the two year mark was supposed to be some kind of turning point. She honestly wished she could get where everyone else seemed to think she should be when it came to moving on. She wasn't there though, at least not yet.

Realizing that focusing on the project at hand wasn't happening right then she slammed her laptop closed and glared blankly at the calender once again. She sometimes wondered if everyone else was right. Was she hanging on too tightly to the past?

Desperate for a distraction from the date she was silently thrilled when her office door swung open and her immediate supervisor Melanie waltzed into her office and flopped down into the chair across from her. Letting out a dramatic sigh as she slumped down.

"Hi Mel, what can I do for you?" Darcy asked amused by her friends display.

"Oh, it's nothing big," she waved a dismissive hand through the air and Darcy rolled her eyes. "I really am fine," she assured her. "Just trying to find _someone_ willing to go out with me tonight." She told Darcy expectantly.

Darcy couldn't help but tense up, she wasn't into the whole bar and club scene anymore. She knew Mel was just doing what she always did, and in her own way just trying to help. To Darcy a loud club surrounded by drunk strangers rubbing up against each other while trying to find a bed buddy for the night was the last thing that could ever make her feel better.

Noticing her face Mel's hopeful expression dropped. "Shit, I did it again didn't I? I'm sorry, sometimes I forget that we don't see a good time the same way. I just want to help you."

"I know, and I also know you think that I'm gonna just break down at any random time, but I'm not." She stared into the older woman's eyes hoping she would see she wasn't lying. "I'm okay," she promised, "not great but I _am_ okay."

"I hope you know how glad I am to hear that." She gave Darcy a small smile and stood from her chair, "Oh by the way, I just wanted to let you know that you can have the rest of the week off. I know you requested some time off a few weeks ago and there was no way to give that to you then, but I found someone to help out with your project. Thought you could use a few days."

"Mel... I promise that I'm..."

"I know you're okay, but take the days. You haven't had any time off in well over a year." She walked through the door and tossed over her shoulder, "We'll see you next week."

She really was annoyed that people still thought she needed to be handled like a broken woman, but in a way she was also actually kind of appreciated it. She liked the idea of taking a few days to herself, and Mel was right it had been awhile since she'd had any time off.

Snatching up her laptop she tossed it into her shoulder bag before heading out the door. When she got outside she hailed a cab and instructed the driver to drop her at the corner near her apartment. She paid him then walked to a small convenient store to quickly grab a bottle of cheap wine for when she got home.

Leaving the store she walked the rest of the way to her apartment.

Once Darcy was home she changed into a comfy pair of pajamas and grabbed a glass. She filled the glass to the brim and snuggled into the couch. She drank down her first glass quickly and a second one not much longer after that as she scrolled through her Netflix queue and started an old episode of one of her favorite scifi shows. It was only a single episode and less than an hour later that she started to feel herself drifting off.

Standing up she shut off the television and made her way to the bedroom. It was barely three minutes after she snuggled into the blankets that she drifted off.

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

" _Why do you keep doing this to yourself, Baby."_

 _Darcy glanced around them and realized that they were back on the beach they would have visited on their honeymoon. He stood before her in a comfortable looking set of board shorts, in each hand he held a drink in a coconut shaped cup with a different colored umbrella. He handed her one and she took it excitedly._

" _I missed you."_

" _You missed me so you..." He lifted his empty hand as if he held a bottle in it then brought it to his lips making it seem as if he was chugging from it. "Don't you realize that you're hurting yourself."_

 _She folded her arms around her body as if it would shield her from whatever negative thing he could possibly think of her. Then realized that when it came to this she didn't care what he thought. This small amount of time with him was worth it. "I won't apologize." She stepped toward him and brought a palm up to his cheek, "I would do anything to be here with you... Anything."_

" _I hate seeing you do this? You drink half a bottle of wine just so you can have a conversation with a dead man."_

 _Her eyes shot to his and she couldn't help but glare. That one hurt, she couldn't deny it. Yet, her instinct was to defend herself. "Then why won't you just come to me all the time, not just when I..." she mimicked his motion from moments before._

" _Hey, don't ask me. It's your subconscious behind the wheel here, I'm just along for the ride."_

" _Are you mad at me?" Darcy asked unable to stop herself._

" _If I said yes would you stop?"_

" _Probably not... It's the only way. I just wanna be here with you. Here in our little paradise."_

" _Don't you understand Darcy?! This isn't paradise! This is all in here." He reached up and tapped her forehead._

" _Well, I'll take what I can get." She stated jutting her chin out in determined defiance, "and you can just forget about me stopping."_

 _He reached for her and pulled her body to his, "I'm not mad at you."_

 _The mixture of his words and him holding her close made all of her anger to fade._

" _So what should we do this time," she pulled back and pulled him along behind her. "I think that water skiing was on that bucket list of yours wasn't it?"_

" _It is, but honestly all I really want right now is to sit here and hold you." He motioned with his thumb behind him and she finally noticed a single lounge chair covered by a sheer canopy._

" _That sounds perfect."_

 _Reaching out he grasped her hand in his and she followed closely behind him. When they reached the chair he sat down and leaned back before pulling her into the space between his parted thighs. She grabbed his arms and wrapped them tightly around her._

" _I love you," he whispered in her ear._

" _I love you," she mumbled against his skin. He was running his fingers through her hair and was lulling her into a peaceful state as he listened to her tell him about what her life had been like since the last time they had seen each other this way._

 _ **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**_

Darcy jerked awake and her eyes darted all around her. He was gone again. She held back a frustrated growl and fell back against her pillows. Try as she might she was only able to fall asleep after several hours and when she finally did Andrew was no where in sight.

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

The next morning Darcy woke up at her normal time but instead of getting ready for work she quickly showered and she dressed for a trip to visit Andrew's grave. She walked to a nearby florist to grab a bouquet of white lilies before hailing a cab and giving the driver the address to the cemetery.

When she finally reached his headstone she placed the flowers in front of it. "Hi Drew," She sat down beside him and began to trace the letters of his name. "I did it again last night, and I know you would yell at me. Hell even there you yelled at me, but I can't help it. Seeing you even if it is just some alcohol fueled vision is what's been keeping me sane."

As she started telling him about everything that had been happening in her life over the last few weeks. She so badly wished she could touch him for real, to hold him and kiss him, "it's not fair, you know?" She pulled her hand back moved her head forward until her forehead rested against the cool marble. "I just miss you so much."

Darcy spent nearly an hour talking to him and finally when she had filled him in a everything she stood up, brushed a kiss to her fingertips and then placed them on the headstone once more.

When she got back home she quickly changed into her comfy clothes once more and settled back on to the couch. She'd been there for less then an hour when she heard a small thud from the direction of her front door. She stood from the couch and walked toward the noise, noting a large manila envelope with her name in bold block letters across the front of it.

Lifting it up she studied it carefully. Her initial instinct was to just throw it away but something told her not to. That she needed to see what was inside.

She walked over to her desk and picked up a pair of scissors. Moving back to the couch she sat down and with a quick snip the package was open. She spilled the contents on to the coffee table. A single flash drive fell out.

Eyeing the small piece of plastic warily Darcy had a sinking feeling form in her gut. Something inside her knew that this tiny drive was her very own Pandora's Box, and that the moment she saw what was on it her life was going to completely change.

Unable to resist for another second she walked back to her desk with the flash drive in hand and popped it into her laptop. It only took a few moments for an icon to appear.

As soon as she clicked it she felt her stomach begin to roll. It was a video of someone in a chair that resembled some kind of archaic dentist's chair. The man was strapped down and had a black hood over his head. She stared open mouthed at the sight before her. She watched as a man dressed all in black walked onto the screen. He ripped the hood from the prisoners head as he yelled at him in German.

Suddenly the little control she had over her stomach fell away. She ran into the kitchen and heaved repeatedly into the sink. Once she was finished and cleaned up she moved back into the living room and looked at the video once again. She was just in time to see the man who was standing begin punching his hostage in the face over and over again. Try as she might she just couldn't look away, because the man being held captive was not just some prisoner. He was also her dead fiance and if the time stamp on the video was right it was only three days before she had received the news that he had died in that plane crash.

She was at a loss and had no idea what to do. What was this? What had really happened to the man she loved. Her mind was racing and she was completely confused about what this video even meant it wasn't until she saw a familiar skull logo take over the screen that she realized that there was only one place to get the answers she needed.

Yanking the drive from her laptop she shoved it in her pocket. Then she slipped on her shoes and headed for the front door her phone already in hand.

"Darcy?"

"Jane, I need you to get me in to see Tony Stark, right now."

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

Darcy stalked her way down the busy sidewalk. It had taken her several minutes and the promise to meet with her first to get Jane to agree to help her get an unscheduled meeting with Tony Stark.

Finally reaching a small cafe just a half a block from Stark Tower she glanced around outside looking for Jane then decided to look and see if the other woman had already arrived.

The small bell jangled above her when she yanked the door open pulling the attention of several patrons to her. She glanced around the crowd at the nameless faces until her eyes landed on Jane sitting on a stool by the counter. Darcy made her way over to her friend and stood beside the counter.

"You wanna sit?" Jane offered gesturing to the stool beside her.

"No, I don't. I want you to talk to someone and get me into that building." Darcy jutted her thumb behind her.

"Just calm down Darcy." She pulled the stool out slightly and motioned toward it a second time. "Please sit with me, have a cup of coffee, and tell me what's going on with you?"

Darcy glanced at all the people around them and then jerked her head to the corner booth. This needed to be discussed in as much privacy as possible. She had no idea if she was being watched by whoever had left her the flash drive, but she wasn't taking any chances. She turned on her heel and made her way over to the booth trusting Jane to follow behind her.

Darcy pulled the thumb drive from her pocket and slammed it to the table as Jane slid in across from her.

"What is it?" she eyed the tiny object nervously.

"It's a video..." She clenched her fists. "a video of what really happened... To Andrew."

Jane's eyes shot to her in disbelief, "Darcy... Andrew died in a plane crash. You know that. "

"I know that's what everyone was told, and I know that if I were in your shoes right now I probably wouldn't know what the hell to think either, but I promise you," she lifted it between two fingers, "this is the truth."

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

Tony Stark strutted into the room, every bit the same confident man she had seen her TV screen time and time again over the years.

"Dr. Foster, how can I help you?" he asked his tone and demeanor showing no signs of the familiarity she knew the pair shared. He seemed completely impersonal and professional.

Darcy watched Tony closely and realized that maybe he wasn't exactly the same after all. She'd always heard that Tony Stark was a quick witted and playful man, yet as he stood before them he seemed unlikely to be the same man from the stories Jane had told her.

He seemed colder and sadder then she'd imagined, and if she'd have to she'd guess it probably had something to do with the obvious rift between him and most of his former team mates. She knew he still had people he was close to, but after such a public disbandment of his team and so many of the Avengers and their allies had siding with Captain America over Iron Man it seemed as though the man before her may never recover. It was also possible that his relationship with Steve Rogers wouldn't either, and that just wouldn't work for her.

She believed that the best way to get justice for Andrew would require the two men working together.

"This is Darcy Lewis," Jane offered gesturing toward her.

"Right, Lewis, I've heard about you."

Darcy arched her eyebrows in disbelief.

"You don't have your taser on you by any chance do you?" There was a teasing twinkle in his eye, and for a second she actually could see that playful guy from those stories. Maybe he wasn't as shut down as she'd originally thought.

"You use completely legal and reasonable force against one Norse God and you never live it down," Darcy grumbled. "No taser today," She promised, "but I did bring this." She tossed the thumb drive to him without warning and Tony caught it easily and immediately pushed it into a USB port she hadn't even noticed that was built into his desk.

Instantly the large monitors all around the room filled with the video she had seen earlier.

Tony stood stoic and silent as the video played out before him. He made it much farther then she had earlier. Darcy refused to watch but she couldn't ignore the sounds, and if it weren't for Jane's comforting hand wrapped tightly around hers she was certain she would pass out from the noises erupting from Andrew as he was tortured on screen.

She could hear every punch.

Every whip.

Worst of all though was the slicing sounds she heard last. She refused to look up but if the way Jane's hand tightened and the cries pouring from the man she loved was any indication she could only imagine what was being done to him.

Sensing her discomfort Tony suddenly switched the video off, "What the fu... What is this?" He demanded.

"His name was Andrew Miller." She took a deep breath and Jane urged her to continue, "he was a photojournalist until he died two years ago in what his family and I were told was a plane crash." She looked up, "but obviously we were misinformed."

"How did you even get this?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "It was delivered to my front door earlier today."

"Who delivered it?"

"I don't know, someone slid it under the door."

"Why you?" He questioned, though she was certain he already knew the answer and just wanted a confirmation from her.

Her finger went instinctively to the ring on her left hand, "We were going to be married."

Clearing his throat Tony stared down at the broken young woman before him, "What do you need from me?"

Steeling herself she met his eyes full on, "not just from you. You saw the red skull, so you know who's involved. That means we're going to need someone who knows a lot about Hydra and how to stop them."

Tony tensed knowing what she was getting at. He swallowed heavily, "well in case you've missed the news lately the two of us aren't exactly on the best of terms right now."

"I'm aware, and honestly if I had any other option I wouldn't be asking this of you, but this is Hydra and it's going to take more then just you to find them and the truth." She looked up at him apologetically, "please don't be offended."

"No offense taken, but is that really all you want, just to find out the truth?"

"No, what I want is for them all to pay. I want all of them _gone_." She admitted.

"Darcy," Jane gasped at the cold tone in her friend's voice.

"What," Darcy snapped, "Didn't you see it?! What they did to him? What his last moments were like?"

"I understand that you..."

"You can't possibly understand."

"But I do," Tony interrupted, "I watched a video very similar to this and saw my parents death. I saw them murdered by someone who half my old team now protects." His words came out bitter and wounded.

"If you can't help me..."

"I never said I can't help you, I can and I will." He walked around his desk and sat on the edge looking at her meaningfully, "I hope you know that no matter how impossible it seems you can and will get past this."

"I don't think that's ever going to happen."

"I know, but you will."

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

After their meeting Tony had asked Darcy and Jane to stay put and he'd be back. It was nearly an hour later when anyone came back and this time it wasn't him but instead his other half. Pepper walked in and if the look on her face was any indication she already knew all there was to know about why they were there.

"Tony and I have talked and he's currently doing what he can to get a hold of anyone who can help. In the meantime we think it would be best if you stay in the building. We can provide you with a suite to stay in as well as anything else you may need until we can take off?"

"Take off to where?"

"You said you needed more than just Tony," she answered simply, "we agree."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3...**

 _Darcy stared out at the ocean before them. The once crisp blue sea was now nearly black. The truth about what had actually torn them apart was ebbing it's way into their beautiful paradise. Darkening it, making it so even as he stood beside her the entire place was less bright... less comforting... just less._

" _How are we here?" she questioned._

" _I'm not sure," he answered, "I guess you just really needed to see me"_

" _I guess," she told him, though she was sure that wasn't the case, at least not in the literal sense of seeing him, considering she couldn't bring herself to even glance his way. She just felt too guilty. Guilty that she hadn't even known what he had suffered through in his last days."I wish I had known."_

" _What would that have changed?" He asked his tone genuinely curious._

" _I don't know," she admitted, "but if nothing else maybe you could have actually gotten justice for what was done to you."_

" _What kind of justice are we talking about here Darcy, the kind where you go to Tony Stark to have him help you get rid of them." He was upset with her, she didn't need to look at him to know that._

" _Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop on private conversations?"_

" _Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to have a conversation with someone and not look at them?_

 _Rolling her eyes she turned to him but before she could speak her hand flew to her mouth. His handsome face was battered and bruised._

" _What's wrong?" He moved toward her and reached his bloody hand toward her face, but before he could touch her she stepped back. "Darcy?" Her name came out in a strangled gag as blood began to spill from between his lips._

 _He fell to his knees before her and bent forward bracing himself on his hands as he continued coughing up dark blood and saturating the white sand of the beach. She cried out his name as she fell to the ground beside him and placed her hand to his shoulder which only led to another violet round of coughing._

 _Finally he collapsed completely and the air around her became silent. She shook him over and over crying out his name..._

She jerked awake and stared up into Jane's worried eyes. Darcy cleared her throat and sat up straight in her seat, "Are we there?"

"Seriously? You were crying in your sleep and you're shaking Darcy."

"It was just a bad dream," She brought her hand to a cheek and found that Jane was right it was damp with partially dried tears.

"You know the past couple of days would be a lot for anyone to handle, no one could blame you for having some trouble dealing with it all." She reached out and placed a hand to Darcy's knee, "just know I'm here if you decide that you wanna talk."

Darcy knew Jane was just trying to be there for her, so she ignored her first instinct to snap at her friend, to tell her that she was fine and didn't need to be babied and instead just gave her what she hoped would come across as a grateful smile and a nod. She turned from Jane and stared out the plane window silently hoping she wouldn't fall back asleep and back into that awful dream.

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

Steve stared blankly at his phone for a long moment after ending his call then placed it on the wooden bench beside him. He stood and slowly headed back to the punching bag in the middle of the room.

"You okay?" Bucky asked as he moved behind the bag and held onto it tightly and Steve began to punch it harder then before.

"I'm fine."

"Somehow I doubt that," Bucky lifted his hands from the bag stepped to the side. It was on Steve's very next swing that it went flying across the room, "oh yeah, you're fine." He rolled his eyes and folded his arm in front of him, "you wanna tell me what's going on?"

"That was Stark," he answered as he moved on to the double end bag and started pummeling that one as well.

"And?"

His movements didn't hesitate for a moment. "He says he needs my help. Well actually, he was calling for someone else who needs help."

"Who?"

"Not sure he's sending me a file he wants me to look at, says he needs to know if I'm in or not by tonight."

As if on cue his phone chimed and alerted him to a new message, he walked back over to the bench and snatched it up. With a quick swipe he opened the file he stared blankly at the picture of the young woman in front of him. He jerked his head suddenly at Bucky's low whistle, "Who's the dame?"

"Not sure, she looks familiar, but I just can't place..." He continued swiping through pages on the file as he skimmed over the details, "Damn."

"What?"

"I know her... Well sort of. Her name is Darcy Lewis. She used to work for Jane Foster."

Bucky stared st him blankly.

"Jane foster is... She's with Thor."

Bucky snatched his phone and moved his finger over the screen repeatedly until he was back at Darcy's picture, "How is it possible that you met _this_ girl and didn't remember her right away."

"That's the thing, I never actually met her. By the time I met Jane she didn't work for her anymore. She'd moved to DC and was working for some politician."

"Well, I say go lend a hand. She's a beaut, and hey maybe she'll be grateful to the good old Cap for coming to her rescue." He wiggled his eyes suggestively and as nice as it was for Steve to see pieces of his old friend's playfulness shining through now wasn't the time.

Steve snatched his phone back and glared at him. "I'm not sure about all the details. All these records Tony sent me are superficial. I can tell it has that it has something to do with her..." He swiped again, "the death of someone named Andrew Miller and how Hydra may be connected..." He blacked out his screen and clutched it tightly.

Bucky's grin instantly fell away, "shit."

"Exactly."

"Well when do we leave?"

Steve looked at him pointedly, "you know you can't come." he said plainly.

"I do," he admitted with a solemn nod, "I do wish I could help though... If for no other reason then..." he pointed at Steve's phone and wiggled his brows again, "well did you see the lips on that girl?"

Steve rolled his eyes and shoved his friend away, "cut it out." He turned toward the door then back again, "you'll be okay with me gone, right?"

"I'm good, man."

Steve nodded once then moved back toward the door.

"Hey Punk?"

"Yeah?"

"If you end up needing me... I'll be there."

"Thanks Buck."

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

Since heading back to the states was impossible and staying under the radar was mandatory for Captain America Steve found himself forced to crisscross across the globe before heading to his final destination. When he had finally landed and stepped off the plane he was glad to finally be there.

Wakanda.

It was decided by the Black Panther that since the team had been divided by the accords his country would be neutral territory, He'd even gone so far as to allow a much smaller version of the Avenger's tower to be built here.

"Captain?"

He turned and smiled when he saw his welcoming committee, "Your Majesty," he greeted extending his hand.

"T'Challa," he corrected shaking Steve's hand.

"T'Challa." Steve reached down and picked up his bag, "has anyone else arrived yet?"

"Yes, The Quinjet jet arrived a few hours ago. I had Tony and the young ladies taken to the compound."

"Ladies?"

"Yes, a Miss Lewis and Dr. Foster."

"Right, I wasn't really expecting them to be here, but I guess since Miss Lewis is the one in need of our help it makes sense."

"Well based on what I've seen there was no way Miss Lewis was staying away while Mr. Stark and the others are handling this, and Dr. Foster seems hesitant to leave her side." He glanced around them and then back at the Captains one small bag, "Is that all you've brought?"

"I travel light."

"I can see that," he agreed with a quick nod, "come, the transport is this way."

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

"Darcy, maybe it would be best if you left for this part?" Tony suggested as he prepared to start the video.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Darce..."

"Jane stop! This is important."

"Tony's going to need to show the Captain the whole video."

"I know."

"Then why would you..."

"Jane!" she took a deep breath and calmed herself, "Look I appreciate that you're worried about me but this is something I need to be involved in. I have to help," She looked into her friend's eyes begging for her to understand. "What if it was Thor?"

"Okay, you're right. I just want to make sure you're able to handle what you're about to see."

"I've seen in twice already Jane!" She snapped as she finally lost control, "I'll be fine!"

"Excuse me..." A hesitant voice called from the doorway.

Both women stopped staring each other down and turned his way.

"I'm Steve... Rogers. Tony sent for me?"

"Is that a question stars and stripes?" Tony asked, his voice showing less play fullness then bitterness as he appeared behind him.

"Tony. It's good to see you."

"Welcome," he offered ignoring Steve's attempts at pleasantries. "If you come on in we can get started."

Steve walked into the room and found his way into the far end seat. "So why did you send for me Tony because, and correct me if I'm wrong, but you hardly seem thrilled to have me here."

"How right you are, and if it were up to me I wouldn't have bothered you, but the lady," he motioned to Darcy, "thinks that the two of us working together is ideal for handling this situation."

"And what exactly is the situation?"

"This is about the murder of one Andrew Miller..."

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

Steve made his way down the long corridor to his room. He knew now that even if he hadn't already decided to help Miss Lewis then thirty seconds of that video would have made the decision for him. It wasn't just the video though, it was also the woman herself. It was impossible to not want to help her when he watched heartbreaking sadness in Darcy's eyes as she watched the man she loved being tortured on screen.

Tony had stopped the video before the end but Steve had no doubt how it ended. For some reason some sick bastard had decided to send some kind of snuff video to the fiancee of the man in the film. The question was why and just as importantly why now?

When he dropped his bag in his room he heard a small sniffle coming from the room on the other side of the wall and while a huge part of him thought it might be best to leave her be he felt an inexplicable draw to her and to giving her some kind of comfort.

He exited his room and moved to her door, he knocked gently so he didn't startle her. It took her a moment to answer and when she did he knew that he had heard what he thought he had. Her eyes were red and puffy and there were light smudges of black all around her eyes.

"Captain Rogers?" Her hands went to her cheeks and she quickly wiped any stray tears away, " I am so sorry, I didn't disturb you did I?"

"No... You didn't... I mean I heard you but it didn't bother... Not that I liked hearing you..." he couldn't believe he was reacting to her this way. He steeled himself and started again. "No you didn't disturb me, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I know that had to have been difficult to watch."

"You'd think after having to sit through it twice already I'd be able to handle it better, but honestly it gets worse each time."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"You're already doing it." She pulled her arms around herself and gave him a forced and hollow smile, "I can't thank you enough for being here. I know it wasn't exactly ideal for you and Tony to work together again, but you are the most knowledgeable about the way this organization works."

"I hope I'm as much of I help as you think I'll be."

"I have no doubt you will be Captain."

"Steve."

"What?"

"You can call me Steve... Darcy."

She smiled at him and given the way she strained against it he got the feeling that it might be the closest to a real one she'd given someone in awhile. He hated that what he was about to say might take that smile away from her but he needed her to know, "I know what it feels like you know... The loss and anger... the desire to get revenge for everything that's been taken from you." Her smile did fade, but she didn't look sad again she actually looked curious about what he would say next. "Just know that if you ever need someone who understands, someone you can just sit and talk to. I'm here, literally," he told her pointing to the door beside hers.

The curious look on her face turned slightly confused before she gave him a weak smile and a nod, "thank you Steve."

 **#*#*#*#*#*#*#**

 _Somehow she was with him again. The second time in just as many days and there wasn't a drop of alcohol in her system to lubricate her dreams._

 _They were on their beach again and the water was back to it's clear blue, the sand back in it's pristine condition. With everything back to the way it should be and the two of them together again she could almost forget the terror of her last time with him. They were laid out side by side on huge beach blanket their hand clasped together._

" _He seems nice," Andrew told her suddenly as he drew the tips of his fingers up and down the length of hers._

" _Who?" She asked turning her face toward his._

 _He locked eyes with her in a silent dare to continue pretending she didn't know. "It's okay you know. You're allowed to start moving on."_

" _What the hell are you talking about?" She demanded as she shot up into a sitting position and stared down at him horrified._

" _Don't get mad."_

" _Oh, if you're trying to imply what I think you are then you can bet your ass I'm mad."_

" _I'm not implying anything. I'm just saying that if you want to get to know someone else you can. It's not wrong to start living your life again."_

" _I don't... Okay, I can't even begin to understand what your trying to do right now., but believe me I have absolutely no interest in him I mean I've met the guy once, so please just stop already."_

" _Yet you knew exactly who and what I was talking about," he pointed out his eyes slightly sad._

Darcy suddenly jerked awake and stared around the empty room. "What the hell just happened?" She muttered Where was he? Why did he say all those things? Why would he think that after one meeting she would even want... Growling in frustration she threw herself back against her pillows and willed herself to go back to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hi Everyone!**_

 _ **Just wanted to let anyone who is reading this story know that I will only be updating it over on AO3 from now on. As of now chapters 4 and 5 have already been posted so enjoy!**_

 _ **The link to my stories can be found on my profile page.** _


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